Simplicity 2180: Maybe It’s Worth It

by Erin on February 13, 2012

So remember the tsuris I had over Simplicity's 2180 printable/downloadable pattern? It was all rendered moot, because I wandered into JoAnn's on a day when all Simplicity was $1 or something ridiculous, and I thought: "the hell with all that tape", and bought two copies in two different size ranges. (Which is what I should have done to begin with.)

Anyway, I opened it up and looked at it and thought, "oh hey, this looks easy". Note: whenever you think "oh hey this looks easy" about a pattern, especially latish at night, and just fire up an episode of RadioLab, assuming you can put your brain on autopilot, get ready to get that seam ripper out. Which is what I did with this dress. Here is a short list of things I put together upside down:

– the upper neck collar piece (twice)

– the piping for the upper neck collar piece

– the midriff

– one pocket (put in on wrong side of skirt)

Honestly, I know Jad and Robert are mellifluous as all-get-out, but I have NO IDEA why this was so hard for me to put together. My mind was not just wandering, it was on an extended gadabout with time out for some lollygagging, and was toting a bindlestiff while whistling "King of the Road."

Oh, and the best part? After I got it all put together I put it on and realized it was EXACTLY 5/8 inch too tight in the bodice. Five-eighths of a measly inch is the worst amount to be off by. It's too wide a gap to just hope the zipper will accommodate you, and just narrow enough that you can RIP OUT EVEN MORE SEAMS ARRGH and resew them to get the necessary ease. Which is what I did.

Anyway, enough whining, where's the dress?

So there's no pink piping on the midriff (which had been part of the plan) because I had to use it to get the Neck Piping: Take Two done. Although it didn't get done that well — the vee in the back (although really, really pretty ON) is a bit tricky, so it's much more bobble-y than I'd like:

Here's the front:

And here's the oh-god-don't-have-a-cupcake side seam:

The verdict? Unproven. I've only tried this on (haven't really worn it yet) and I haven't made a version in the right bodice size, either (although I have one cut out). I kind of want to widen the midriff by two inches, too …

On the plus size, the neckline really is lovely on — it stands out a bit from the body — and the pockets are great. It seems like a really wearable dress (will report back once I, you know, actually wear it).

This fabric is left over from a Heidi I made last year (I can't find the picture, weirdly) and I think I still have three more yards! It is the neverending piece of black floral vaguely vintage-y-looking cotton (okay maybe I did buy ten yards …)

-I think the gorgeous pink piping makes up for it all! I have yet to sew something from one of my lovely vintage patterns sets (2 NY resolutions in a row so far…) but I am extremely heartened to know that even experienced seamstresses have brainfarts.

My old local sewing store, Hayes Sewing Center in DE, had a saying: “Nothing good happens after 10 o’clock.” This is what they told me when I brought my machine in for a tension problem which turned out to be merely user error when I was attempting to rethread it during a late-night project.

Now I take that advice a gospel truth. (At least for me.)

For you, well, your dress looks great and the piping is terrific! And thanks to all the re-dos on this one, the next version you make with this pattern will go together that much more smoothly.

It is really, really funny that right after “Anyway, enough whining, where’s the dress?” – where the first photo should be, it says “This photo is currently unavailable.” (Some sort of flickr issue I guess.)

From what I see, though, nice dress! Take two, I’m sure, will be even better.